Non-violent offenders tasked with cleaning up dead animals

April 26, 2012

MASON, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan sheriff is offering a way for people convicted of non-violent crimes to avoid time behind bars by cleaning up dead animals.

Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth on Friday is announcing the start of the Dead Animal Recovery Team, also known as DART. His office says in a statement that the team — equipped with its own trailer — will respond to remove dead animals from roadways in the mid-Michigan county.

Under the sheriff’s plans, department officials and volunteers will oversee cleanup efforts. The program gives area judges another option at some sentencing hearings.